


As Easy As Breathing

by QueenBoudicatheGreat



Series: Light/Dark Swap AU [1]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: AU, Gen, but I'll get into that later, essentially xehanort is someone obsessed with light instead of darkness, there's also a difference in the overall feelings of light and dark in relation to one another
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-23
Updated: 2019-11-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:41:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21528505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenBoudicatheGreat/pseuds/QueenBoudicatheGreat
Summary: In an alternate universe where Xehanort is obsessed with controlling the power of light instead of darkness, Vanitas is still created but is the one left with Eraqus in the Land of Departure instead of Ventus. Lost and confused and not understanding anything from the moment he opened his eyes, Vanitas is startled by the immediate kindness shown to him by Eraqus's apprentices. But maybe that's not a bad thing.*-*Vanitas didn't know what was going on. He didn't know where he was. He didn't know why he was there. He didn't know who the old man dragging him around by the wrist was or who the other three people he was talking to were. He didn't even know who he was.
Relationships: Aqua & Vanitas (Kingdom Hearts), Terra & Vanitas (Kingdom Hearts)
Series: Light/Dark Swap AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1551613
Comments: 7
Kudos: 59





	As Easy As Breathing

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first part of a series I'm desperately hoping to do. I got this bug several weeks ago that was just "What if the perception of light and dark wasn't so black and white? In fact, what if Xehanort was obsessed with light instead of darkness?" I've stopped and started several different fics, but none of them were really what I wanted to start the series off with. All of them have just been stuff dealing with the VanVen swap in BBS despite me having a really solid idea of how this whole thing effects stuff down the line, particularly Riku's story. This is because I love Vanitas a whole bunch and just want him to be surrounded with love and support.

Vanitas didn't know what was going on. He didn't know where he was. He didn't know why he was there. He didn't know who the old man dragging him around by the wrist was or who the other three people he was talking to were. He didn't even know who _he_ was. He didn't know where he came from or how he got there or if his name was even actually Vanitas or if that was just what the old man was calling him.

The other old man cleared his throat and glanced at Vanitas. "Xehanort-" Right. That was the first old man's name. "- come with me. We need to speak. Alone."

Xehanort nodded. "Very well." Vanitas made to follow him ( _Vanitas. You are to stay within my sight. No excuses._ ) but Xehanort halted him with a gesture. "Not you," he said sharply. Vanitas snapped back into waiting position, still as a board. Xehanort and the second man left.

As soon as they were gone, the other two people in the room dove on Vanitas. He supposed they were probably younger than the two men. They certainly seemed friendlier. Maybe. The blue haired one seemed to be baring her teeth at him, but it didn't feel as threatening as it should. "Hi there. Vanitas, right?" she asked. She didn't actually wait for an answer, which was good because Vanitas had a feeling that "I don't know" wasn't the correct response. "My name is Aqua. This is Terra."

"Hello," the taller one who was apparently named Terra said. His face did a similar thing to Aqua's, but it was smaller and his teeth remained hidden.

They both stared at him expectantly, and Vanitas felt a crease between his eyebrows. What did they want from him? Was he also supposed to show his teeth? But the wouldn't be able to see it past the mask even if he did. Or maybe he was supposed to greet them like they did with him? He opened his mouth, but no sound came out, and he realized that he hadn't actually ever made a noise before. It had been blindly following Xehanort around from the moment he opened his eyes, and the old man didn't seem to be one for open conversation. Still, Aqua and Terra were looking at him, so he cleared his throat. "Hi," he said shortly. It was rough and slightly garbled sounding, but the two still seemed pleased with it.

"Is Master Xehanort your Master?" Aqua asked. "Is that how you know him?"

Vanitas furrowed his brow further. What did that mean? Was Xehanort his master? He had given Vanitas orders and seemed to expect them to be followed. Did that count? "I think so."

Aqua's mouth turned down, but she seemed more confused than upset. Vanitas wasn't sure why that felt like a relief. "What do you mean you don't know?"

"Can you summon a Keyblade?" Terra asked before Vanitas could get hung up on trying to figure out what Aqua's question meant.

"What's a Keyblade?"

Terra looked surprised, but held out his hand as Aqua did the same. There was a flash of light, and suddenly they were both holding large objects that Vanitas supposed were key-shaped. He was pretty sure he couldn't do that, but they did seem familiar. "I think Xehanort has one of those."

Now they were both even more confused and they turned to one another and seemed to have an entire exchange without saying a word. It was odd feeling both like he was intruding and like he was being left out, so he ignored that feeling. He was surprisingly good at ignoring his feelings, but he wasn't sure what it was surprising. Maybe it was something everyone could do.

"Could you try summoning a Keyblade?" Aqua suggested hesitantly. She looked like she was worried about offending Vanitas, which didn't make any sense.

"I don't know how."

"We'll show you," Terra said, his voice deep and slow. "Hold out your hand like this."

Vanitas did as he was told, furrowing his brow. "Like this?"

"Curl your fingers in a bit more, like you're grabbing something," Aqua corrected, gently guiding his fingers into place. "Okay, now imagine your Keyblade forming in your hand. Imagine the weight of it."

"But I don't know what my Keyblade looks like," Vanitas pointed out. He still didn't even know if he had one.

"Good point," Terra hummed. He paused to think for a second. "Okay, well your Keyblade is an extension of your heart. Close your eyes and try to focus on what your heart is feeling."

Vanitas was skeptical. The idea of there being a feeling in his heart that he'd need to latch on to was absurd. His heart didn't feel like it had enough to keep itself going, much less form some giant key-looking thing. But, as always, he did as he was told. And sure enough, there was something. It was just a tiny little spark of something that threatened to sputter out at any given moment, but it was there and he pictured himself grabbing hold of it. He tightened his hold until he was worried he was going to squeeze what little life there was out of it before it flared up, and there was suddenly a physical weight in his hand.

"You did it!" Aqua said, sounding beyond delighted. Sure enough, when Vanitas opened his eyes, he saw her beaming at him with unmatched pride. "You did it perfectly."

"It was really impressive," Terra added. His tone turned a bit sheepish as he added, "I didn't really give you the best instructions, I'll admit, but you still managed to do it."

Vanitas was almost overwhelmed. Where as before his heart had felt like a barren wasteland, now it was overflowing with feelings he couldn't even put a name to. "Thank you. I--"

"Vanitas, _what have you done_?"

The bright feeling bottomed out and was immediately replaced with dread when Vanitas turned to see Xehanort striding towards him, his face twisted a bit in anger. He dropped his Keyblade and was mildly surprised that there wasn't a clang of it hitting the floor. "Master, I--"

"Terra and I were showing him how to summon a Keyblade," Aqua said stepping forward with a respectful bow. "He's a natural, Master."

Xehanort paused and looked over Vanitas critically. Vanitas straightened his posture. "That's most unexpected, but most certainly a good thing," Xehanort said quietly, almost to himself. Louder he said, "Vanitas will be staying here in the Land of Departure." And with that, he was gone. 

A few moments later, the other older man came in. He walked up to Vanitas and gave a look detached but friendly. "Vanitas. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Master Eraqus." He turned slightly to include Aqua and Terra in the conversation. "Vanitas suffered an accident while he was training that left him with amnesia. Master Xehanort has asked that he be allowed to stay here and resume his training, and I agreed."

Vanitas frowned. Amnesia? That didn't sound right, but what else could it be? He had no memory from before waking up with Xehanort. And that other boy. Something must have happened to leave him lying there still and corpse like. "Thank you," he said haltingly. 

Aqua and Terra looked surprised but oddly pleased at the news. "We'll be sure to show him around," Aqua promised. She held out a hand to Vanitas. "Seeing as you're not leaving right away, you can take your helmet off."

Could Vanitas take the helmet off? He hadn't tried. There hadn't really been much time to even think about it, and Xehanort had never mentioned it. Still though, when he put his hands up next to his jaw, his fingers found their places almost instantly and with a button press and a hard yank, Vanitas was breathing unfiltered air for the first time. He never knew how much brighter the world was without his mask. The sunbeams spilling through the stained glass windows was more brilliant, Aqua's hair was an even bluer shade of blue, and Vanitas noticed for the first time that Eraqus had streaks of white through his dark hair. He took Aqua's hand.

She began to pull him along, Terra keeping perfect step. "Come on, Vanitas. There's so much to see."

Vanitas opened his mouth, words already forming before he could process them. He didn't know where they came from, but the words sprang to his tongue without a thought and he was helpless to stop them. They were easy to say, almost like he had said them a million times before. As easy as breathing.

"You can call me Van."


End file.
